Car-truck construction for electric-railway signal systems.



G.B.GRAY. CAB. TRUCK CONSTRUCTION FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAY SIGNALSYSIIJMQLQy-v APPLICATION FILED JULY 16,V 1909.

Patented NGV. 7'

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

@Non Ms /Vihmoseo Uff f G.,B.GRAY. GAR TRUCK CONSTRUCTION FOR ELECTRICRAILWAY SIGNALSYSTEMS.

. APPLICATION FILED JULY 16, 1.9.09. I

. vPatented Nov. 7,'1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET ,2.

Unir-ED s'rarns rafrnnrorrioii.

. riiNNsr'Liramau Loospso.

GARDNER s'. GRAY. oF'Prr'rsBURGH', PENNsYLvAN'iA,-Ass1GNoR 'ro GRAY-'T'UmanaA .auromarrc TRAIN coN'rnoL AND SIGNALv COMPANY-or AMERICA, orPITTSB'UBGH.

caiifri'wcir coNs'iRUcTIoN son n LEc'rnac-RAILWaYfsIGNAL sYs'rEMsi'Appnqationsieaiuiy'is,1909. seria1.No.5o7,9ss.

To all whom 'it may concern.:

Be it known that L' GARDNERv B. GRAY, a

.i citizen ofthe; United Staites,'residing at Pittsburgh, in the countyof Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania. have invented a n eiv and usefulCar-T ruck Construction Jfor Electri`c-Railway Signal Systems, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention has reference to car truck' construction for electricrailway signal systems, more vparticularly a signal system of i the typedisclosed -in Letters Patent. No.

909,083 granted to me on January, 1999 for automatic safety signalsystem' for railways and the'object of the present invention istoprovide a means whereby the Wheels or truck ot' a railway vehicle maybe insulated from the body of the same so that Athe oper-- ating currentin a system ot automatic train control such as disclosed in the saidLetters Patent may be taken up from the running rails of-'a railroadtrack, the trucks being f on a systemprotectedby the signal l devicesdisclosed'in the aforesaid Letters Patent, depends v,upon the perfectWorking of such asystem,` it becomes a matter of vital importance thatthe insulation be primarily .perfect and inherently proof against break`ing'down.

In the signal system set forth in the aforesaid Letters Patent, thetratiicrails are utilized tor the `transmission ot operating currentreaching electrical devices re.- sponsive to such currents and carriedon `the moving train, and more especially on the locomotive.Furthermore, the car Wheels and axles are utilized for providing apractical short circuit between the rails under certain conditionsdemanded for the proper operation of the system, but for the properoperation of the system there should -be no electrical connectionsbetween the trucks through the'frameivork of the locomotive or motorcar; .L u

The present invention comprises means for insulating the car truck fromthe supporting bolster on the body. of thel car. so

that' there shall be no' electrical connection "i betvveen' the cartruck and the car body, es`

pecially' with the present day steelV cars.

The invention will..l be bestV understood tail descriptiontaken inconnection with the is a section of a hanger strap for one ofthe ofthesame. Fig 6 `is a section lot' aportion of a truck bolster taken onthe lines G--H vieiv of the structure shown in Fig. 6 With some partsbroken away.A

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, there is' shown a means tor insulating theupper truck bearrailtv'ay'veliicle. There is slioivn at 1 the upperplate or top of the bolster and at 2 the center sills while at 3 isshown the botbottoin plate 3 there is lodged a steel casting 4. Belowthe bolster pl'ate 3 'is a liner ter plate 6 formingthe upper truckbearing plate. It Will be observed that the liner' at 7. Centrallythroughthe center plate/6 tions isa passage 8y for the truckcenter pin.The casting 4 has lateral extensions 9 exand passed through'these side'extensions 9,

responding, portions of the upper 4bearing plate 6 for the-t the severalpartstogether;

-interposed bet-Ween the lower surface of .the bottom bolster plate 3and the upper surface of the liner plate 5 is asheet 1'1 of insulatingmaterial such as vulcanized ber, the

the corresponding edges of the lowermost from a consideration`A`l of.the following des .accompanying drawings forming apart of and I-K ofFig. 8. Fig. 7 is a section on'l the line L-M of Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is aplan plate 5 and below this liner plate is the cenplate 5 is upturned atthe ends as indicated Patented Nov. 7, 1911i;

a sect-ion on the line' E-F of Fig. 2. Fig. 4

truck safety chains Fig. 5 'is an elevation ings from the steel-frame ota car orother 'so toni plate. 'Between the top plate 1 and the andalsothrough the other supe'rposed por-I tending to the sidesof the bolsterplate 3- I the bolster plate 3,the liner plate 5 and cor ruck, larelbolts 10 securing "lowerinostplate v3 at allpoints where .105 plate -Y3, this insulating sheet 11 thusthoroughly insulating the liner 'plate 5from the f two parts might come into contact. The passage through thelowermost plate 3 and through the casting it. provided for the center-pin is ot' larger diameter than the same passage through theuppervbearing plate 6 and the liner plate ln the passage through thelowermost plate' 3 and the casting 1 there is housed a1 sleeve 12 ofinsulating material interior to which is a metallic sleeve 13 `,havingan'internal 'diameter coinciding with the diameter of the center pinpassage through the liner plate 5 and the upper bearing plate G, butthis sleeve 13 is of such external diameter that7V when driven into thesleeve 12, the latter will be forced into firm engagement with the wallsyof the iassages through the bolster plate 3 and casting 1. l The sleeve13 is by the insulating sleeve 12 eli'ectually insulated from thebolster plate 3 and casting f1 so that it is immaterial that the centerpin makes contact with the walls or the passage therefor through theupper bearings 6 and the liner plate 5. Furthermore the sleeve. 13serves as a metallic bearing for the center pin thus guarding theinsulating sleeve 12 from contact with the center pin and injury:thereby.l

Since the bolts 10 would otherwise electrically connect the bearing Gand liner plate 5 with the bolster plate 3 and parts carried thereby,the passages for these bolts through the bolster plate 3 and theextensions 9 of the casting 4 arc sufficiently enlarged to receive aninsulating sleeve 14 in the form of a flanged bushing with'the flange atone end and overriding the extension about the passage for said bushingwhile interior'to the insulating bushing there is another bushing 15having an annular flange orhead 1G rest-A ingon the lateralextensionofthe insulating bushing 14, this head 16 serving asa seatfor the headof the corresponding bolts 10. The bushings 15 are of slightly greaterexternal diameter than the internal diameter of the insulating bushing14 so that force must be used to introduce the bushingsl into thebushing1flf and the latter are therefore tightly. expanded againstthe walls ofthe passages provided for them. By this means the bolts 10 are mosteffectively insulated from the bolster plate 3 and casting l andconsequently from the hotlyy of the car; lVhile of course the insulatingbushing may be made of any suitable material it is preerred to usevulcanized liber. The metal bushings 15 save the`insulating bushings 14from injury'by. the bolts 10. When a truck is secured to the car bodylby a. center pin extending through the opening 8 with the truck carriedbearing plate engaging the bearing plate 6; it will be seen vthat thetruclr is most Vetlectually insulated from the car' body while theVinsulating 'material is well y protected against injurykfrom contactwith metal surfaces which eithertdc moy@ or are 'liable to move -withrelation to the insula- 'tion, and furthermore the insulation isthoroughly protected from injury duc to other causes. The truck and carbody are however liable to come in, contact at other points. Forinstance,` when the car body from other causes. side bearings 17 on thebolster plate 3 are there located to engage the ear truck and therebyprevent undue swinging of the car body toward the truck. These sidebearings. of which one isshown in Fig. 1, are secured to the bolsterplate 3 by means of bolts 1S, but the'side bearing electrically.insulated fronrthe bolster plate by an interposed sheet 19 of insulatingma'.- terial of any suitable character, vulcanized tiber being usuallypreferred. while the bolts 13 are insulated from the bolster plate 3 andthe parts carried .thereby by means of insulating'bushings 19tirmly'seated-in enlarged passages for thebolts through the bolsterplate 3 by means of interior metal bushings 20,- the -insulatingbushings 19m-1d metal bushings 20 being like the bushings 14 and 15before described. connect the truck to tht` car body by safety chainsandtorthis purpose there are provided eyeplates 21 secured tothe car hotlyby bolts 22 insulated by bushings 23 and of insulating` materialn andmetal' respectively similar to thelnishings 14 and 15 and the eye plate21 is insulated from supporting metal parts by an' insulating sheet Bythese meansall possible points of me-` vtallic contact between the cartruck andthe car body are etliectually guarded by insulatiing materialand therefore there is no dan 'ger of accidental circuits between thecar truck and car body. l y

It Inaynot always be expedient tofinsnlate the top or upper truckbearings from the car body, .nor in fact, to insulate either bearingfrom the car body, and' .in such case the lower lor truck carried truckbearing and other'parts carried by the truck and Yliable to beelectrically connected with the car body must be insulated from thetruck.

In Figs. G, 7 and 8- the truck bolster is in-,

dica'ted at 26 and at the'center of the truck bolster there is securedthe lower bearingplate 27 of the truck. Through this bea-ring plate isva passage28 for thev truck center pin, the. bearing plate 27 ymatchingthe' bearing plate 6 of the bodyfbolster fot the car and the center pinpassage 2 8 matching-the center pin passage. S lof the 'carbody'bolster. The bearing plate 27 has downturned edges 29 embracingthe'sides of out-turned anges 30 formed along'the bo1ster26. Oneach sideof the late 26 there is secured to the bolster a strip 31 by rivets 32or otherwise but these 'strips 31 are spaced ajsliortI distance fromVthe corresponding edges of the bearing plate 27.

Intex-posed between the bottom of .the

bearing plate 27 and the top offthe bolsterl 26 is 'a sheet 33 ofinsulating material, preferably vulcanized ber, though of courseV thisinsulating. material maybe of other composition than vulcanized -fiber.The edges of the sheet'33: where adjacent tothe downturned edges 29ofthe .plate 27 v are con; tinud along said downturned edges so as toseparate theniffrom the outer edges Aof the bolster 2G at this point.The ot-her edges ofthe sheet 33 Where the'plate 27 'and the strips 31are in juxtaposition, are upturne'd to reve t contact between the saidedges turned and upturned portions ofthe msuvlat-ing sheet 33 maybe inone piece there'- rvith orthese parts may be separate strips'.

the bolts of the structure ofFigs. 1 2 and 3. Secured withinfthe bolster26 is a socket 37 connected byrbsSS-toside plates 39 engaging lthe sideWalls of' the bolster and secured thereto in any suitable manner'. Thesocket 37*A is tapered at the. lower end and has an interior lining. 40of insulatingmaterial which latter is forced into intimatecontact withthe inner Walls of the socket by means of a sleeve 41 having a taperlower end conforming to the shape of the socket. The sleeve 41 isthoroughly insulated from the socket 37 by the lining 40 of insulatingmaterial. The socket 37 by means of the sleeye 41 receiyes thecenter pinof the truclc, The' side bearings 17 of the car body are receiyed uponthe bolster of the truck byl lateral plates or stops-42 and When theside bearings are not insulated from the car body then the plates 42 areinsulated therefrom.v

bymeans of a sheet 43l of insulating mate-v -rial interposed betweenthe'said plates or strips/42 andthe top of the bolster 26'. These'strips 42 'are'heldin place by bolts 44 and the bolts are insulatedfromthe bolster by vmeans of insulating bushings 45' interposed-bet-weenthebolt holes throughn'the bolster anda 'metal' bushing' 46'immediately vsur- V rounding the bolt and forced lnt-othe insu- .latingbushing 45 thus locking-the. latter in place.

I The' 'structure shown in Figs, 4 and 5 has beendeseribed asbeingcarriedby the car 1 structure may. be as well carried 'withoutharm.l

an -t-he said strips. 'Of course the doWnreadily secured thereto-ininsulated .relation 34 pass directly through the metal bushings f 36 thes'ame as described With reference to l I A by 'the truck andthe-safety-chains thereby., insu- -lated from theA car. truck, in whichcase theyv maybe in metalli?` contact with the car body 1oBy.insulatingthetruck'from its bearings,

or by insulating the bearings from the body bolster,'the truckisinsul'ated from the car body frame more effectively than though itWereattempted to insulate the car axles a 75 Wheels from their supports.Furthermol the broad area ofthe car4 axlelbearings be tween the truckand its bearings or-between the bearings and the body bolster permit theuse of a correspondingly broad area of insu- 8( lation which' latter istherefore enabled to i stand the heavy mechanical 4load imposed thereonWithout deleterious effect'while danger of the .insulation breaking downe1ectrically is reduced to a negligible minimum. By making the sidebearings on. eitherthe body bolster or the truck bolsterseparate 'fromthe respective holsters they maybe to these'bolsters and by making theeye 90 plates for theI safety chains also separate they may be readily'secured'- to the 'truck p or car body in; insulated relation theretosothat Whichever construction beadopted the l truckjis positivelyinsulated .at all :points `from electrical connection with V'the' carbody.' i In lthe aforesaid patent-there-is described a system wherebythe Atruck must electrically bridge the traffic rails; butl twoseparated trucksgonfa car must be electrically insulated one from theother so as'not to bridge insu-v lation sections interposed inthetraficrails. By insulatingy thes'eparate trucksV from the car bodyframe, each truclrbecomes electrically insulated Without interferingwith its conducting qualities fronione tra-Hic rail to the other. i

The constructionembodyingthe-.present invention has been -found toperfectly meet all the conditions demanded by the signal systemset'foit-l'i in the aforesaidv Letters Patenteyenu'n'der the severeconditions of ordinary t rafiic.`

lVhatis claimed 'is :1 .1( In car truck construction` center bearingplate having lends turned over the corresponding edges. of thel bolstercarrying turned over edgesvar'id the .bolsteixthe vsaid 120 plate,Insulation and bolster having I natch- .ing bolt holes. theboltholes-through .the

bolster being larger than through the center ,plate insulation bushingsinthe holes of. 'the bolster. metalflmshings interlor to the'125insulation bushings. and bolts trayeifsingthe metal bushings and thecenter. plate.

' .ln car truck constructiori a center-bearingplate having ends-'turnedover th'e vcorre- 1 1 p 1 1 v insulation between the plate audits turnedoveredges andthe bolster, an insulating sleeve interior to the centerpin passage of sanie and the bolster carrying itf, insulated boltssecuring the center plate to the bolster, the insulation'beinginterposed between the bolts and the bolster and provided With in-lterior metal linings, an-insulation lining for the center pin passage ofthe bolster, a metal sleeve interior to the center pin insulation,insulated side bearings for the truck, and insulated safety chainconnections for the 1 truck.

In testimony that I claim the'fo'regoing as my oWn,-I have heretoatiixed my signa-` 20 turelin the presence of twov Witnesses GARDNER B.GRAY.

Vfitnesses M. MCJUNKIN,

IRENE BUSHFIELD.

